Maryland's Wes Moore says he's not running for president but high-profile stops keep chatter alive

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, often mentioned among Democrats arsenic a potential statesmanlike candidate, has been saying for months that helium isn't moving for the White House successful 2028.

That hasn't stopped persistent speech astir his aboriginal governmental plans, particularly erstwhile helium continues to marque appearances extracurricular Maryland that rise his nationalist profile. On Friday, he’s traveling to talk astatine the Blue Palmetto Dinner successful the early statesmanlike superior authorities of South Carolina.

When asked astir 2028, though, the politician is clear.

“I’m not running,” Moore told The Associated Press successful an interrogation Wednesday. He besides said, erstwhile asked, that helium isn’t trying to get his sanction successful the speech for a imaginable vice statesmanlike candidacy, either.

The travel to South Carolina includes meetings with concern prospects, Moore said.

“And radical should get precise utilized to maine going each implicit the state bringing concern backmost to Maryland, due to the fact that that's precisely what I program connected doing arsenic agelong arsenic I'm the politician of the state,” Moore said aft a dedication successful Annapolis for a memorial to erstwhile Rep. Parren Mitchell, the state's archetypal Black congressman.

In the 3rd twelvemonth of his archetypal term, Moore plans to tally for reelection adjacent twelvemonth successful heavy Democratic Maryland. He says being the state's politician during a challenging clip has his afloat attention.

That includes moving to navigate the difficulties of melodramatic national downsizing nether the Trump administration, which poses an outsized economical interaction connected Maryland. The authorities is location to a ample fig of national workers toiling successful the shadiness of the nation’s superior — astir 256,000 Marylanders received a national W-2 successful 2021, representing astir 8% of taxpayers, according to an investigation by the state's comptroller.

Earlier this month, Maryland mislaid its triple-A enslaved rating from the Moody’s economical standing agency. State officials had cited the standing for much than 50 years arsenic a motion of beardown fiscal stewardship that enabled the authorities to wage the lowest rates erstwhile it sells bonds to wage for infrastructure. Two different standing agencies, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch, person precocious affirmed the state’s triple-A enslaved rating.

Moore and different starring Democrats successful the authorities blamed the Trump administration's downsizing for the Moody's downgrade.

The politician conscionable had the astir challenging legislative league of his tenure. Facing a $3.3 cardinal fund deficit, helium worked with the legislature, which is controlled by Democrats, to scope a balanced budget that included astir $2 cardinal successful spending cuts passim authorities authorities and astir $1.6 cardinal successful caller revenues done taxation and interest increases.

Most of the taxation increases were imposed connected high-income residents, including 2 caller higher taxation brackets for radical who marque much than $500,000 and a caller 2% taxation connected superior gains for radical with income implicit $350,000. The politician has said astir Marylanders won't spot a taxation increase, and immoderate volition person a humble taxation cut. Still, Maryland Republicans person been pouncing connected the taxation increases — an contented definite to beryllium raised often by the GOP's adjacent nominee for governor.

Moore, 46, is the state’s archetypal Black governor, and the lone Black politician presently serving. He is the erstwhile CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation, an anti-poverty nonprofit. He besides is simply a Rhodes student and a combat seasoned who served successful Afghanistan.

The buzz astir Moore has persisted since the bestselling writer won Maryland’s governorship successful his archetypal bid for nationalist bureau successful a landslide successful 2022, after prevailing successful a crowded Democratic superior that included erstwhile nationalist enactment president and erstwhile U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez.

In a authorities that is astir 30% Black, Moore was precocious criticized by the state's Legislative Black Caucus for vetoing a bill to survey imaginable reparations for slavery. Moore said the thought has been studied capable and present is the clip to “focus connected the enactment itself” of gathering a amended system for all. That includes narrowing the radical wealthiness gap, expanding homeownership, uplifting entrepreneurs of colour and closing the foundational disparities that pb to inequality — from nutrient insecurity to education.

Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1 successful Maryland, making the authorities mostly harmless for Democratic incumbents.

Still, erstwhile Republican Gov. Larry Hogan won the archetypal of his 2 presumption by campaigning heavy against taxation increases approved during the tenure of his Democratic predecessor, prompting immoderate to wonderment if the fashionable Hogan mightiness tally for politician again. Maryland limits a politician to 2 consecutive terms, but a erstwhile two-term politician could question different word aft sitting retired one.